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Local artists and shop owners will
have a chance to peddle their wares Friday at the second Bear Town Market, a
bazaar consisting of local vendors selling a variety of products and gift items.
Organizers are hoping to make it an regular market event, coinciding with
cruise ship visits.

The Bear Town Market was conceived as
a way to get cruise ship passengers into the community to visit shops and
galleries that aren't within walking distance of the waterfront. Kodiak Island
Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Janet Buckingham said she's
been brainstorming with organizer Fran Kelso for the past year on how best to
make that happen.

Buckingham said the first
Bear Town Market was held June 5th, and that 16 local vendors
participated, filling all available spaces. She said that while the first
installment was somewhat slow, she expects it to grow each week, especially
since there will be more advertising and signage, and this week, no
construction in the area.

--(Buckingham
225 sec."It is designed to get ...there's music and food.")

Kelso
said she is
viewing the first year of the event as a learning experience toward making it
bigger and better as it develops this cruise ship season and hopefully into the
future.

--(Kelso
144 sec."It was an idea that I had ... signing
and selling books.")

Kelso
said that each event will feature a slightly different collection of vendors.
One of the ways she hopes to see it develop is in the area of food and
entertainment.

--(Kelso
235 sec."Right now what we have is ... won't
be the only time.")

Kelso and Buckingham
encouraged local residents to visit the Bear Town Market throughout the summer,
whenever there is a cruise ship in port. They said their
support is helpful in making it an annual event. The second Bear Town Market
will take place Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. downstairs at the new Kodiak Convention
Center on the corner of Shelikof and Marine Way. There
will be 14 more such events held through September 17th.